2017
WISE Score
A rhythmic, orange-drenched walk through crunchy leaves and busy squirrels that captures that specific window before the pumpkins disappear and the snow arrives.
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If you want a book that feels like a warm sweater and a cup of cider, this is it. Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek have created a seasonal staple that doesn't overstay its welcome or try too hard to be 'educational.'
It’s a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling for the very young. It won't keep a first-grader occupied for long, but for a three-year-old noticing their first 'crunchy' leaf, it’s basically a required text.
Perfect for the 2-to-5 crowd. It's simple enough for a toddler to follow the rhythm, but the vocabulary is rich enough to keep a preschooler engaged during a seasonal unit.
Kevin Henkes is the gold standard for gentle, emotionally resonant children's literature. There is zero snark, zero chaos, and a total focus on the quiet beauty of the natural world.
While it doesn't build a fantasy world, it invites kids to imagine the sensory experience of the season—the smell of apples, the feel of the wind, and the anticipation of snow.
It is a picture book about squirrels and pumpkins. The most 'dangerous' thing that happens is a leaf falling or a hint of a cold breeze.
Excellent for vocabulary building and seasonal awareness. It hits the 'language comprehension' strand of the Reading Rope perfectly for the preschool set.
When we talk about literacy being multi-stranded, we often focus on phonics—the 'decoding' part of the rope. But In the Middle of Fall is a prime example of how to build the language comprehension strand. By using poetic language to describe squirrels 'hustling' and the air turning 'chilly,' Henkes is feeding a child’s vocabulary and background knowledge. This is the stuff that makes a kid a strong reader later on, even if they aren't the ones sounding out the words yet.
Laura Dronzek’s illustrations are the real engine here. They are bold, colorful, and lack the frantic detail that often clutters modern children's media. For a parent, this means you can actually point to things—the 'one big yellow leaf' or the 'round orange pumpkins'—and have a real conversation about what the child is seeing. It’s a grounded, analog experience that contrasts beautifully with the high-speed cuts of digital entertainment.
Kids live in a bit of a time vacuum. Concepts like 'next month' or 'last year' are abstractions. Books like this provide a concrete anchor for the passage of time. It’s not just a story; it’s a tool for helping a kid understand that the world changes in predictable, beautiful ways. It’s the kind of book you pull out every October, and that ritual itself is a form of intentional media consumption.
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